


Unexpected Gossipers

by Wishful86



Series: Tales of the Unexpected [7]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Friendship, Gen, M/M, Tea time table talk, Ties in with what is on screen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-12
Updated: 2016-06-12
Packaged: 2018-07-14 15:34:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7177568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wishful86/pseuds/Wishful86
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gabby invites Liv over for tea. And during table talk Laurel and Ashley learn a bit more about Aaron and Robert...</p><p>Hope you enjoy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unexpected Gossipers

**Author's Note:**

> Trying to bring in different characters again...

“Morning,” Laurel said brightly as Gabby entered the kitchen. She had been staying with them for the last few days while Bernice took some time to get over her recent heartbreak. 

“Morning,” Gabby replied as she put her bag down on the kitchen table.

“You fancy some toast?” Ashley asked, gesturing to the toaster where he was already on with making some for his own breakfast.

“Please,” Gabby said, taking her seat at the table next to Arthur, “Do we have Nutella?”

Ashley frowned, “Only strawberry jam, I’m afraid.”

“Ok,” Gabby shrugged. She bit her lip, “Erm…Can Liv come for tea tonight?”

Laurel and Ashley shared a glance. They had heard things about Liv. “Yeah, sure,” Laurel told her.

“Yeah, it’ll be nice to properly meet your new best friend,” Ashley smiled, buttering his daughter’s toast and handing it over. 

Gabby rolled her eyes, “Just promise me you won’t be embarrassing.”

Ashley put a hand on his heart as if wounded, “Embarrassing? Us?”

Laurel laughed as Gabby pulled a face. “We’ll be fine,” she assured, “Now, does Liv like lasagne?”

“I think so,” Gabby said, picking up her toast, “She can eat for England.”

“Bit like Arthur then,” Ashley teased his son who happened to be taking the hugest bite of cereal. 

Laurel shook her head fondly. “Hey, slow down, you,” she told her son. 

“Sorry,” Arthur garbled with his mouth full.

Gabby wrinkled her nose, “That’s gross.”

“Arthur, don’t talk with your mouth full,” Ashley stated. 

“Sorry,” Arthur garbled again. 

Gabby sighed, “Yeah, you lot aren’t going to be embarrassing at all.”

….

Laurel and Ashley heard the laughter from outside before the two teenage girls spilled into their living room. They smiled at each other before turning the corner of the kitchen to greet them. 

“Oh hey,” Gabby said, putting her bag down on the sofa and gesturing for Liv to do the same.

“Hello,” Ashley replied. He smiled at his daughter then turned his attention on Liv who offered a tentative ‘Hey’ back.

Gabby sensed what she was supposed to do and half-heartedly gestured between them all, “Everyone, this is Liv. Liv, this is my dad, Ashley, and my step-mum, Laurel. And Arthur, my brother, is…somewhere.”

“He is in his room,” Laurel pointed out before grinning at a rather awkward looking Liv, “Hi…erm, we’re having lasagne for tea, is that ok?”

“That’s fine,” Liv nodded before adding, “Thanks.” 

“Right,” Gabby stated, picking up her bag again, “We’ll be upstairs.”

Liv followed suit and also picked her bag back up. She walked behind Gabby to the foot of the stairs before having to stop when Gabby suddenly came to a halt in front of her. 

“Dad?” Gabby called out, “Can I show Liv your old records?”

Ashley nodded and called back, “Of course. Just not so loud, ok?”

“Ok,” Gabby replied and she began to climb the stairs with Liv close behind. 

“Well, she doesn’t scream trouble-maker,” Laurel whispered across to her husband.

Ashley laughed, “You could say the same about Gabby.”

“Hmmm,” Laurel chuckled, “Teenagers, eh? I know I was a bit of a nightmare.”

“I think I was ok.” Ashley stated with a shrug.

Laurel shook her head, “Come off it, I know you locked your teacher in the broom cupboard.”

Ashley blinked, “How did you- dad?”

“Yup,” Laurel smirked, “Oh I have got heaps of evidence.”

Ashley stepped forward and planted a kiss on his wife’s lips, “I best keep you sweet then, eh?”

“Ew,” Arthur groaned as he appeared behind them. 

…

A couple of hours later and they were all sat round the table. 

Laurel looked across at Liv. “If there is anything you don’t like, then just leave it,” she told her. 

Liv smiled back but before she could say it looked great, which it did, Arthur cut in with, “I don’t like peas, can I leave them?”

Ashley snorted at the head of the table, “Nice try but you need to eat your greens.”

“Urgh,” Arthur groaned as he stabbed some with his fork. 

“So, Liv” Ashley began, “How are you finding Emmerdale?”

Gabby rolled her eyes but Liv just looked up at him and shrugged, “It’s ok.”

“Where did you move from?” Laurel asked, receiving an odd look off her step-daughter that she chose to ignore. 

“Just outside York,” Liv answered.

“Oh, well, York is nice,” Ashley nodded. 

“We weren’t there long though,” Liv told them, her head slightly lowered, “Me and my mum moved around a bit.”

Gabby nudged her with a smile, “Yeah, but you’re here now. Aaron’s not going to move.”

Liv glanced up at her friend and couldn’t help but smile back. Laurel and Ashley watched the exchange between the two girls and smiled at each other; it seemed like a strong friendship was growing. 

They ate in silence for a moment before Laurel couldn’t resist asking another question, “Gabby said you’ve just been to Wales, Liv?”

Liv nodded and finished chewing her food. “Yeah, we stayed in Can..Can…I can never get it right.” 

“Caernarfon?” Ashley suggested. 

Liv gestured at him with her folk, “That’s it. It has a castle.”

“Oh it is lovely there,” Laurel said, she gestured between her children, “We took these two, actually.”

“Yeah, I remember,” Gabby chuckled, “I buried Arthur on the beach.”

Arthur frowned, “I don’t remember that.”

Ashley laughed at his son’s confusion, “No, you wouldn’t, you were only little.”

“Aaron loves the beach,” Liv stated, taking them all by surprise. She laughed as though remembering something, “He was like a big kid.”

“Didn’t you say he went fossil hunting?” Gabby asked. 

Liv nodded, “Yeah, he found quite a few.”

Ashley and Laurel shared a look before Laurel shrugged, “I wouldn’t have had Aaron down as a fossil hunter?”

“Fossils are cool,” Arthur declared. 

Liv looked at him and smiled, “You should ask Aaron if you can see them. He wouldn’t mind.”

Arthur turned to Ashley, “Can I dad?”

Ashley was slightly thrown by the conversation but he smiled at his son, “Well, if Aaron doesn’t mind.”

“He really won’t,” Liv assured. “As long as I don’t have to hear about them. Again,” she added although it was obvious in her tone that she actually didn’t mind. 

“Ok then, we will ask him,” Ashley said, smiling at his excited son. 

“Has he fixed his phone yet?” Gabby asked rather randomly but Liv was immediately amused. 

“No,” Liv giggled, “It’s still in the bag of rice.”

Gabby snorted, “Robert is so going to end up buying him another.”

“I know,” Liv agreed, “They’ve still not stopped bickering about it.”

“That’s so funny,” Gabby said, shaking her head. 

Again, Laurel and Ashley shared a look. This time Ashley shrugged and went in for the question, “So…did Robert go to Wales with you, Liv?”

Gabby rolled her eyes again before stating plainly, “He is Aaron’s boyfriend, dad.”

Ashley blinked, “Oh, right.” Laurel snorted lightly at the other end of the table. 

Liv didn’t notice their reactions, she just shrugged, “Aaron wanted us to bond or whatever.”

“Ah, ok…” Laurel wasn’t quite sure what to think about the fact that Aaron ‘fossil hunter’ Dingle had taken his boyfriend, Robert Sugden, on holiday with his sister so that they could ‘bond’. Glancing across at her husband, she could see that he wasn’t quite sure what to make of it all either. Apparently, their knowledge and perceptions of certain people in the village needed updating. 

“It worked though, didn’t it?” Gabby pointed out. She had no idea of her parents thoughts and carried on as normal, “You said he was alright.”

Liv nodded and then allowed a smile, “Yeah, he is.”

“Even when he’s kissing Aaron?” Gabby teased, knowing that Liv had interrupted a moment between the pair on holiday. 

Liv groaned, “Oh don’t remind me. They are seriously…urgh.”

Ashley's eyes widened at Laurel but before they could pass any kind of comment. Arthur spoke up, “Mum and dad were snogging. It’s gross.”

“Hey, you!” Laurel let out a surprised chuckle. Ashley gave his son a gentle nudge. 

“He’s right,” Gabby agreed, “No one needs to see it.”

They all laughed. 

…. 

Later on, Ashley and Laurel were washing up. They’d both wanted to say something for a while but neither wanted to be accused of gossiping and they were both aware Liv was still in the house. After sharing yet another look though, Laurel broke, “So…Aaron and Robert?”

“I know,” Ashley replied. He couldn’t hide his relief that his wife had finally started the conversation, “I…I…Well, I don’t really know what to think?”

“It’s none of our business,” Laurel pointed out but then she shook her head, “It’s just…wow. Not expected.”

“They did have an affair,” Ashley pointed out, 

“And I supposed if Robert’s been with Aaron throughout this year,” Laurel mused.

Ashley nodded, sadly, “That must have been tough.”

Laurel shook her head, “Still, holidaying together? With a teenager?”

“And bickering?” Ashley said, eyebrows raised in amusement.

Laurel chuckled, “They sound like a married couple.”

"Its a good job only I came down, isn’t it?” Gabby stated suddenly appearing in the room. She reached into a cupboard for two cups. 

Ashley and Laurel shared a look of regret. “Look, love, we weren’t-“

“I don’t know what the issue is,” Gabby told them, “Aaron and Robert are pretty cool.”

“We’re sure they are” Ashley started.

“Is it because they’re gay?” Gabby asked, cutting him off.

“What? No,” Laurel protested.

“Well…I think Robert’s bisexual actually but-“

“Gabby, it isn’t because they are gay…or bisexual,” Laurel interrupted, “Just ignore me and your dad, ok? We were being gossipy.”

Gabby narrowed her eyes, “Which you always tell me off for.”

“Yes, we know, sorry. But Laurel’s right, ok?” Ashley explained, “We’ve got nothing against Robert and Aaron. We were just a little surprised is all. We’ve known them for a long time and well, it is unexpected.”

“But if they are happy, then that’s great,” Laurel finished, “And we will stop gossiping.”

“Ok,” Gabby nodded in acceptance. She continued to make the drinks she had come down for, “Although, you’d think with everything that goes on in this village, people wouldn’t be surprised by anything anymore. I mean, look at what’s happened to my mum.”

Ashley and Laurel couldn’t help but think she had a point.

…


End file.
